Elmley update: Late November 2013

Now is the time…

• Water voles are present in most of the ditches – we have a strong population here at Elmley. The ditch to Wellmarsh hide and in front of Southfleet hide are good areas in which to see them
• Wildfowl and wader numbers increasing all the time now
• Starling numbers are increasing all the time and some wonderful sights across the marsh skies when these flocks are being pursued by various birds of prey.
• Flocks of various finches and buntings making good use of the wild bird seed mix

Other reserve news…

• ###b across the reserve re: track repairs/removal of redundant fencing/habitat enhancement etc. – too much to restrict just to Tuesdays when we are closed. We apologise for any disruption caused to your day but please be patient – it will be worth it!
• Some of the works in progress – a viewing area along the entrance track with improved scrapes (please remain inside your vehicles)/a viewing mound here at Kingshill /enlarging of the pond below the farmhouse. Two new hides are also planned along the Swale – the base mounds for which we prepared last year. We shortly hope to provide a screen on one of these at Sharfleet to allow viewing across The Swale – wonderful seascape/ landscape/high tide roosts etc
• The new gates and cattle grid along the entrance track form part of 8km of fence we erected this last winter in an effort to reduce fox predation to our ground nesting birds. It is the longest fence of its type in Europe and the results are good.
• The wild bird seed mix is doing well and includes Sunflower, Millet, Quinoa(the tall plant similar to Fat hen), Kale, Phacelia( the blue flower) , Buckwheat and Chicory. This provides food and cover for many birds over the winter. It will hopefully also help with our re-establishment of the Grey Partridge. As a further aide the blue feeders you can see along the edge of the cover crop provide winter food for the partridge and other birds.
• We have also re-seeded another 1.1ha which is just germinating. One strip of autumn sown Wild Bird SeedMix/One strip of Pollen and Nectar Mix for Bumblebee conservation.  Further information available at###a href="http://www.kingscrops.co.uk/">www.kingscrops.co.uk
• On the farming calendar. Bovine – It is weaning time and the calves have been taken away from their mothers. Cow numbers will also decrease over the next months depending on food availability/ weather conditions. Ovine – The Rams have arrived!
• The new Elmley NNR website is now open. We hope you like it and invite your comments and any ideas you may have on how it might be improved.
• Parking Permits. Permits are available for those unable to walk down to the hides
•  To avoid inadvertent disturbance to roosting and feeding birds at Spitend please access the hides using the nature trails rather than crossing the new cattle grid

 Come bleak November in thy wildness come Thy mornings clothed in rime, thy evenings chill E’en they have powers to tempt me from my home E’en they have beauties to delight me still Though nature lingers in her mourning weeds And wails the dying year in gusty blast Still added beauty to her end proceeds And wildness triumphs when her bloom is past